Love After Loss
by When-The-Cicadas-Die
Summary: [Set of AUs,WIP so titles etc. may change!] Nearly four years after Marinette makes a fatal mistake, Ladybug disappears from Paris, and Adrien Agreste is presumed dead. With no other choice, she must resume the role of Multimouse, and she's joined by Chat Noir, who can never go back to his life as Adrien. Together they must fight Hawkmoth and Mayura who are more powerful than ever.
1. Part 1 - Moving On

Marinette released a breathy huff as she collided with the Dupain-Cheng's balcony rooftop, sweat dripping from her forehead. Crumpling to her knees, the transformation dropped the second she fell. It had been another close call; if a few more seconds had passed before she returned home, a civilian would have surely seen her secret identity. "Ugh..." She groaned lightly, running a palm down her face. An equally tired grunt came from the kwami who had been spat back out of the miraculous.

"It just keeps getting harder and harder," she mumbled. Of course, the little magical mouse didn't want to make Marinette feel any worse, and normally she would never complain to her owner. However, the stress of the increasingly difficult fights brought on by Hawkmoth and Mayura were starting to get to her, too.

"Eat up, Mullo." Marinette dug into the small bag hanging over her shoulder, and pulled out a chocolate chip cookie for the little one. She held it out, which Mullo gratefully grabbed and immediately began nibbling on. "I just need to call Alya and let her know I'm safe… Then we're back out there."

"Shouldn't we ask her for help, too?" Mullo sheepishly suggested, in between bites of her cookie.

Marinette pulled herself up, stumbled over to the edge of the balcony and peered over with her palms pressed firmly against the railing. A short distance away at the park, civilians were panicking, rushing to find the nearest escape to get home safely. Even though the sun was setting, Mayura was relentless as ever. Taking a moment to assess the situation, Marinette narrowed her eyes and firmly shook her head a moment later.

"But… This sentimonster is so powerful..." Mullo whimpered, gulping down the last bite of the cookie.

Turning on her heels, Marinette didn't give in. "The last time I called on heroes to help..." Her words trailed off as she recalled a memory; one that even years later, she could never forgive herself for. "I can unify if needed."

"Mmh..." Mullo still couldn't break the hard shell that had formed over the once sweet, light-hearted and carefree Marinette. The little mouse knew when to stop trying, so she floated in silence by her owner's side.

The now young woman slid down the small door to her bedroom, Mullo hiding in her jacket. The vibrant pink walls plastered in posters and pictures of her favourite person was something she missed every single day, but in an attempt to move on quicker, she had torn them all down and redecorated. For the most part, she had moved on… Although sometimes, his voice echoed deep in her heart. Taking in a breath to steady herself and push aside those staggering thoughts, she pulled her phone from one of her back pockets. Right on cue, the phone lit up and a picture of her best friend filled the screen.

"You must've read my mind," she sighed into the phone, with a half-hearted laugh.

"Marinette, where have you been the past hour?! I've been going nuts trying to reach you!" Alya's lecturing voice immediately hit the Dupain-Cheng girl's ear, and while it used to be somewhat irritating, the superhero had grown used to it.

"That sentimonster had me trapped," Marinette spoke, and while it wasn't completely true… "Have you seen it? It's been blocking off parks, forests, fields… I'm one of the lucky ones who got away."

"Shit… That bad?" Alya was overcome with guilt. "Nora hasn't let any of us out the house, so I haven't had the pleasure of getting a video of it yet."

"Don't go putting yourself in danger, Alya," Marinette was the one to scold her best friend now. That was also why Marinette had been hesitant to give a miraculous to Alya; the situation was becoming fatal. "If I lost you..." Her voice cracked. She couldn't help letting those words slip out.

Silence hung between the two for a short while. "I… I'm sorry, you're right." It had been three years. Alya hadn't exactly forgotten, but it had been so long that everything felt almost normal again.

Tears stung the corners of Marinette's eyes, though she didn't allow it to become apparent in her voice. "It's alright. I only wanted to let you know that I'm safe. I have to go… My parents need me."

The conversation had turned sour. Alya wanted to apologise over and over for messing up, but instead, she simply hung up after saying goodbye, knowing it'd be better to give her best friend some much needed space.

"Marinette…?" Mullo phased out of her owner's jacket, twirling up and floating gently in front of her face.

Tears trickled down her cheeks. She momentarily shut her eyes, taking a single moment to grieve. One moment was all she needed. The world could wait just _one _second. Sniffling lightly, her eyelids fluttered open and those painful thoughts had passed. "Alright. It's time."

Holding her head up high, she headed over to the box where she once kept her diary. Unlocking it with the special key, she flipped it open to reveal the Miracle Box, in all its red-spotted glory. No matter how much she felt like she didn't deserve the title of a guardian any longer, the box was still her duty, and so she would carry it out for however long she needed.

"Which one will you be using…?" Mullo softly wondered, peering over the girl's shoulder as the box clicked open.

When it revealed its contents, it was as bare as ever. Only a small collection of the magical jewels remained. The pendant of the mouse, which was in Marinette's possession… The ring of the black cat, which was still in Chat Noir's possession… Along with just the watch of the rabbit, the bracelet of the snake, the necklace of the dragon, and the pendant of the fox. A light grimace pulled at Marinette's lips as she mulled over which one could help with an earth elemental sentimonster.

"I could pull it back in time with Fluff… Or maybe blow the thick vines to pieces with the air dragon…" Her forehead creased as she tried to come up with a plan. Was she losing the smarts needed to be a superhero? She found that she could never come up with plans half as good compared to her days as Ladybug; maybe the stress and pressure was becoming too much. Or perhaps the villains' plans just got more and more complex.

Mullo could sense the agitated aura radiating from her owner, and so she lifted herself up and rested her tiny forehead against Marinette's. "It's okay… Take your time."

Marinette lightly pressed her eyes shut, appreciating the warmth and love from her kwami. "Right..." She nodded. When Mullo pulled away, she found her head was a little clearer. "I think it's time I tried the dragon. I'm sure I can utilise air to its full potential." As she spoke, she clipped the necklace on, and the noble kwami Longg was summoned.

"Good day to you, Marinette-sama. I see you are in need of my assistance." Longg bowed deeply, showing great respect to the guardian.

Marinette felt as though she didn't deserve such respect, but nevertheless, she plastered on a smile. "That's right. We have a powerful sentimonster whose goal is to cover the entirety of Paris in strong, magical vines. If it succeeds, Chat Noir and I will be forced to hand over our miraculous to the bad guys." She despised how powerful Mayura had become in such a short time. She'd have to put an end to their reign of terror sooner or later.

"And there's no way we'll let that happen!" Mullo added, filled with determination.

Longg's courage did not waver in the slightest, despite the odds being against them. "You have chosen wisely. You know what to say."

"Mullo, transform me!" Marinette called out the magical words, and the necklace of the mouse begun to glow a brilliant pink. Her suit appeared in a flash – the costume was relatively similar to that of her first time as Multimouse, three years ago. As a conscious display of her maturity, however, her hair was styled into a simple single bun, her fringe still hanging down the sides of her face. "Ready?" She glanced at Longg, who gave a nod in response. "Alright… Mullo, Longg, unify!"

…

By the time the sentimonster had finally been floored, it was well into the middle of the night. Even then, the hard work was far from over. Without the use of Ladybug's magical quick fixes, there was a lot of damage left over, including a dump of dead vines all over the city, buildings that had been crushed, injuries from being physically subdued by said vines… The list went on. What should be a peaceful night had been ruined by Mayura, who didn't need to worry about the consequences at all. A crew of firefighters were taking care of stabilising out of place bricks on houses and shops, as well as rescuing and evacuating any families that were trapped inside. Along with that, a crew of paramedics were rounding up injured civilians and treating them on the side of the road, and taking in anyone who had severe injuries. Finally, a team of volunteers had gathered together to help clear up the vines and other mess in the streets.

Multimouse let out an exasperated sigh, eyelids growing heavy. A superhero's work was never done, apparently. She regretted taking the magical ladybugs for granted in the beginning. It was so much harder without them, and guilt gnawed away at her as she watched everyone around her fix _her _mess.

"Great work out there tonight." Holding a steaming cup of coffee in his paws, Chat Noir casually waltzed over to the mouse hero, seeming a lot more upbeat than her. He wanted to help her feel better, knowing just how much she had struggled all these years.

"Mmh… Mm-mm." She peered up at the kitty, before shaking her head. "You can have it. It's alright."

"As long as you're sure…?" Chat shrugged, plopping himself down beside her on the bench. He gently blew the steam from the plastic cup, cooling it before pressing his lips to it and taking a small sip. "Meee-ouch, that's hot…!"

'How can he still joke around like that…?' Multimouse thought to herself, narrowing her eyes and observing his silly, playful behaviour. She grumbled under her breath, lifting her knees up and hugging herself tightly. Pressing her forehead against her legs, she took a few moments to catch her breath. The cold night air was starting to get to her.

"Heh..." Chat softly chuckled at his own jokes, before setting the coffee down beside him. He tilted his head to the side slightly, much like a cat, and glanced at his partner. "Is everything okay, Multimouse?"

"Sure..." She lied, not wanting to expose her true feelings to the kitty. Her mind was a mess. Besides, he most definitely knew all the details already. There was no need for her to keep complaining and dropping her problems onto the mysterious masked boy. With a sigh, she kicked her legs back down and sat up straight.

"I know these fights are getting harder," he mumbled, averting his eyes for a moment. As much as Marinette had suffered, Chat Noir also had his fair – or rather unfair – share of pain, too. His entire life revolved around being a superhero for the past three years. Whenever he needed to feed his kwami, he hid some place where absolutely nobody could see him, and was back out into the streets as a stray cat. There was never a time he could be his true self any more. "But I'm sure we'll be able to find out where Hawkmoth and Mayura are soon." Despite that pain… Marinette needed his comfort, and so he would provide it… He just wouldn't be allowed to comfort her as Adrien Agreste. Chat Noir would have to be good enough.

Multimouse flicked her saddened gaze over at him. She saw the sincerity sparkling in those dark green orbs of his. His lips curled into a small grin, and for once, Marinette saw something different in him. However, that only hurt her even more.

"We kicked some serious butt tonight. We're getting stronger," Chat continued. As much as his heart yearned for his lady, he had to accept Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Multimouse, as his new permanent partner. Hawkmoth had never discovered Marinette's identity the one time she was a temporary hero up against Kwamibuster; that meant she was safe. Well, the extent of his knowledge and knowing only went so far… "We'll be strong enough to face them soon."

Multimouse gave a small shrug. "I don't want to think about it too much," she quietly admitted. The headache she felt was starting to throb a little harder at the thought of the future and the fights to come. She desperately wanted to throw in the towel, but there was no way she could ever do so.

"You don't look so good," Chat pouted, noticing the feverish, exhausted look on the girl's face. "I'll take you home, okay? It's late, you should rest. We'll sort everything else out here."

"No, no… I can't expect everyone to do the work while I sleep," Multimouse refused, holding a hand out and frantically shaking her head.

"Too late," Chat flashed a toothy grin. He hopped up from the bench and within a split second, he had moved toward the girl and scooped her up in his arms.

"H-Hey-!" Multimouse, perhaps with too much influence from Mullo, let out a shrill squeak in protest, finding herself in the arms of the devilish cat. "Put me down! We have work to do!"

"Nope. You gotta rest." Chat laughed wildly as he jumped up and crossed from roof to roof, holding the superhero close.

Soon, she finally stopped loudly protesting, but she still wasn't too pleased with his actions. She avoided eye contact with him most of the way back to her house. Within a few minutes, Chat landed onto the balcony, and gently placed her back down. "Hmph…"

"See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Chat Noir smiled brightly, perching himself on the railing.

"Mullo, detransformation." In a flash, her suit fell, and was replaced with her normal civilian self.

It had been a little while since Chat last saw Marinette as herself. Lately, he had become slightly enamoured with the sight of her true self; her short hair fell messily over her shoulders, and her bluebell eyes shined ever so softly in the moonlight. Mentally shaking his head, he scolded himself for having those inappropriate thoughts about her – especially since he devoted his heart to Ladybug.

"I can take care of myself, you know," Marinette started to tell him off, folding her arms over her chest. "Everyone's struggling to sort out the mess that I- that… that Mayura made…!" She tripped over her words, accidentally revealing her inner thoughts, and the rush of shock from being so careless left her speechless.

"Wait… Huh?" Chat caught that slip up, and wondered what she meant by the mess 'she' made.

"I..." Her eyes grew wide as the realisation kicked in. Chat couldn't know about the mistake she made three years ago. If he ever found out she was Ladybug, he would be furious, without a doubt, for lying to him all this time. "I'm just..."

"Hey, it's okay," Chat softly said, hopping down from the railing and taking a few steps toward her. His voice shook with hesitation, and while she had a palm clutching at her forehead, he contemplated resting his hand on her shoulder to reassure her… But he didn't cross that boundary, and instead opted to verbally comfort her once more. "A lot has happened, I get it. I… I don't want to tell you how to feel or assume how you're feeling, but… Just don't blame yourself for any of it, alright?"

Marinette tightened her grip on her forehead, shoulders drooping. She clenched her fist at her side, knuckles whitening as she resisted the urge to break down in tears right then and there. To respect the privacy between the two, Mullo shifted down into Marinette's bedroom. "It's… it's just… close to the day that Adrien..."

Chat chewed on his lower lip as he listened to her and watched her let her guard down. He hadn't seen Marinette's vulnerability like this before. Of course, he witnessed the progression of her downfall… How she shut herself in more often, how she lost that beautiful optimism of hers… He knew how much she valued Adrien Agreste as a close friend; how much his 'death' affected her. He barely escaped with his life on that day, and he knew for a fact she would never want to see him again if he revealed the truth. Being Chat Noir gave him a second chance at life, something many others would never have the privilege of.

"I understand," Chat spoke in a hushed whisper, taking in a breath of courage and placing his hand onto her shoulder.

When he made contact with her, Marinette slowly tilted her head up to gaze into his eyes, with slightly parted lips. Her heart pounded in a way that she hadn't felt for a long time.

"I know how special he was to you. But… I'm sure he wouldn't want you to blame yourself..." He tried to think of the right words to say. Oh, how impossible it was for Adrien to comfort someone who believed he was dead, when in fact he was right in front of her eyes. Besides all that, he had no idea why Marinette could possibly blame herself for his 'death'.

"Y-Yeah… Sure, it was Hawkmoth, but…" Again, she stopped herself from revealing any more information. If only she hadn't foolishly given Adrien the bracelet of the snake to permanently keep, after she gained the title of guardian… And if only Hawkmoth hadn't been tracking the two of them… She cursed herself for being unbelievably stupid and clumsy; for letting her guard down and thinking she had shaken the horrible butterfly off her trail.

"Exactly. It was Hawkmoth. We'll get our justice, I promise." Chat sort of knew it was an empty promise. He knew Hawkmoth wasn't the same man as three years ago; he made sure of that on the day he 'died'. But despite that, he wanted Marinette to know he would go to any length to help her achieve justice and take this new Hawkmoth down once and for all.

Marinette herself could tell it wouldn't be an easy thing to achieve. But for once, she'd just like to believe and have hope. Even so, defeating Hawkmoth and Mayura would not bring Adrien Agreste back. She lowered her eyes, thinking back to the first day she met Adrien. The night he stole her heart in the midst of a strangely beautiful thunderstorm. "I never got to tell him just how much I..."

Chat's heart skipped a beat upon hearing that. He almost jumped back and pulled his hand from her shoulder in that very moment, but stopped himself before acting irrationally. Marinette didn't even have to finish her sentence. In a split second, it became painfully obvious that she had been in love with Adrien. But that was just it. He wasn't Adrien any more. Still, had he always been this oblivious? He stared down at her, heart thudding in his chest, seeing the girl in a different light.

"Well, he'll never know now." Marinette let out a bitter laugh, slowly shaking her head. Shyly trailing her glance back up, she only just noticed the way Chat was gazing down at her with… adoration?

Chat's mind had gone blank. He didn't know what to think, or what to feel. He was sure Marinette had been in love with Luka the entire time. He'd seen the two together just recently, on what he assumed had been a date. The only thing he did feel… was a pang of guilt, deep in his chest. He couldn't possibly consider Marinette as more than a friend. He promised Ladybug he'd never give up on her.

"Chat Noir…?" Marinette quietly cleared her throat, hoping to catch his attention. Looked like he had his head in the clouds again, as usual. She figured he was thinking about his lady, with that lovestruck expression slapped over his face. But it was strange, as he was looking directly at _her._

"Huh? Ah, sorry!" Chat snapped out of it a moment later, letting out a nervous chuckle and finally pulling his hand from her shoulder.

"It's alright..." She softly smiled. After all, he had lost Ladybug, just as she had lost Adrien.

"I-I should be going now anyway, huh?" Chat rubbed at the back of his head, taking a couple of steps back and flashing a panicked grin. The way his cheeks had flushed out of nowhere certainly wasn't normal, and to avoid thinking about those odd feelings swirling in his stomach, he decided backing away would be best.

"Ah… Yeah, I should go to sleep, I guess..." Sleepiness had taken over her after letting such heavy emotions drag her down, so she no longer had a problem with taking a night off while Chat helped clean up. "I'll be on cleaning duty next time, alright?" Hopefully there wouldn't be a next time, but she wanted to take responsibility either way.

"Right!" Chat nodded, turning on his feet and hopping back up onto the railing, preparing to head off.

"Thanks for being here, Chat," she called over to him, just before he set off. There was a certain strange warmth in her chest, one she couldn't explain, but she appreciated it anyway. "Goodnight..."

Chat peeked over his shoulder for a moment and caught a glimpse of that breathtaking, genuine smile that she gave him. It was the first time in a while he'd seen her spirits lifted in such a way. It melted his heart, and while guilt still tugged away at him, he allowed himself a single moment of peace. "Goodnight, princess." And with that, he extended his stick and dived away into the night.

"Wow..." Marinette didn't even notice how hot her cheeks had become, until a blast of the cold night air gave her a better sense of awareness. As much as she still loved Adrien with every ounce of her being, she wondered if it'd be unfair of her to let Chat Noir give her such comfort. She was inevitably left confused and torn, and so, she headed down into her bedroom and instead decided to deal with it all in the morning.

…


	2. Part 2 - Carefree Days

_**(A/N: **Hi! Sorry for any confusion with the titles changing and stuff! I originally planned to make this just a oneshot, but well, the people have spoken and want to know more. I'm itching to delve into this AU too, and feel it'd be unfair if it only had one chapter with so many questions left unanswered! Things are subject to change, but I appreciate everyone's support so far!)_

…

The delicious, mouth-watering scent of freshly baked pastries and sweet treats wafted up from the kitchen into Marinette's bedroom on an early Monday morning. It gently coaxed her from the land of dreams, urging her to come to her senses and wake up for yet another tasty breakfast. "Mmm… Croissaaaants..." she grumbled, rolling flat onto her back, her limbs all tangled up in the blankets from a wild night of more superhero action-packed dreams. Being the daughter of a baker had certainly given her a heightened sense of smell – or so she believed – because every morning without fail, that heavenly mix of scents always hit her nose, despite the ovens being so far downstairs.

"Ah! I'm late!" As though it was just normal at this point for her to oversleep, she jolted upright in her bed, arms flailing about madly, letting out a screech.

"Hehe! Don't worry, Marinette. You're actually up on time for once!" A sweet giggle filled the young girl's ears, followed by soothing words. Her wise kwami friend flew up from the pillow and floated in front of her, smiling brightly.

"Oh… Phew," she sighed in relief, calming her pounding heart. "I always get worried I overslept. Glad I'm safe this morning." She chuckled along with Tikki, before sliding the covers off and slipping herself out of bed. Even though she had only just woken up, there was still a sense of fatigue lingering within her.

"Have you prepared everything for school, Marinette?" Tikki wondered. "You didn't have any time at all last night to double check your bags. Did you pack in the evening yesterday?"

"Aaahhh..." A long yawn emerged itself from the girl as Tikki asked about a million questions; she was barely able to process anything the kwami was saying. The only thing that filled her mind were desperate thoughts of yearning, wishing she could have a normal sleep schedule again.

"Marinette!" Tikki waved her little arms in the blue-haired girl's face. "You didn't hear anything I said, did you?"

"Wah!" Marinette gasped, snapping out of her daydream – which consisted of snuggling back up in bed. She reeled back momentarily, dramatically chucking her arms up in front of herself. "N-No, I..."

The kwami let out a small laugh, slowly shaking her head. "I understand. I know it's hard to fight Hawkmoth _and _get a good night's sleep at the same time. But, you should try to adjust a bit more… Your teachers aren't going to know you were out fighting all night. They'll be more concerned about you forgetting homework and important textbooks."

Marinette offered a nervous smile in return, giving a simple shrug of her shoulders. It was easier said than done. Tikki had probably met so many Ladybugs that were more mature and responsible than her. Those Ladybugs most likely never forgot to do important things in their own personal lives. They could also probably manage to balance their civilian life and superhero life perfectly, and their sleep schedules never suffered. But Marinette was just a child. She wasn't quite ready to grow up yet and take on that sort of responsibility. She knew she'd have to do so one day, but… "I'll try harder, I promise." She waved a hand in dismissal, putting on a confident grin to reassure Tikki she'd put in the effort.

Besides, it wouldn't matter that much in the long run if Marinette Dupain-Cheng forgot a few bits of homework here and there, would it? By the time she was ready to move onto college, she'd absolutely have the whole maturity and responsibility thing down. It wasn't like Marinette _didn't _want to put in the effort. It was just rather difficult to actually put into practice, considering the thousands of daily Marinette things to do, as well as the long list of superhero-y things Ladybug had to take care of.

Tikki puffed her cheeks out, frowning ever so slightly. She wanted to push Marinette into being more confident and efficient, and while she wanted to believe in her owner's words, she hadn't been entirely convinced. She understood Marinette prioritised her civilian life over Ladybug; she was a young girl, after all. But Master Fu wouldn't be the Guardian forever. Tikki knew this well. However, she did not want to disrespect her owner, so she gave a single nod.

After a quick shower and brushing her teeth, Marinette got herself dressed for the school day. Scrubbing at her hair vigorously with a towel, knowing she was running out of designated time to get ready, she dashed around her room in an attempt to find her shoes and pull them on. Flicking her red hair ties around her wrist, she hopped downstairs into the main family room.

"Oh, there you are, Marinette! We were worried you were going to be late," Sabine softly sighed, fussing over her daughter the second she stepped foot in the room.

"Hehe, ah… My bad, I couldn't find my shoes…!" Marinette flushed with embarrassment. Even her own parents had to lecture her about the importance of being on time. She should already know this, shouldn't she?

"Well, not to worry, my darling," Tom piped up, his back turned to the two ladies as he gathered something on the kitchen counter. He spun around a moment later, presenting a pretty box of what could only be macarons. "Ta-da! I thought I'd bake a little something for you and your friends to share before school starts."

"Oh, wow!" Marinette's eyes sparkled. Not to mention her stomach rumbled in anticipation as she imagined how _amazing _they would taste. "Thanks, Papa! You're the best."

"Don't forget your school bag," Sabine added, holding it out for her daughter to take. It seemed as though she had already packed most of Marinette's things.

"You're a lifesaver." The girl gratefully took hold of her bag, and slipped it over her shoulder. Marinette took that as a sign she once again didn't have time to indulge in a delicious breakfast. Well, she woke up on time for once, but getting dressed always took up so much of her time. With a half-laugh, she grabbed the box at last, and pecked her mother and father on the cheek, before twirling around to take her leave.

Tom wrapped an arm around his wife, the two watching their little girl head out again into the world on her own. She had certainly grown up fast, but she still had her clumsy tendencies every so often. "I'm so proud of my little girl!"

"Yes… By the way, do you think she forgot to tie her hair up? Or do you think she's trying out a new free style?" Sabine grinned up at her husband, letting out a quiet giggle.

Marinette skidded to a stop at the crossing just outside the bakery, noticing that cars were still flying by on the road. The streets were bustling as usual, with people on their way to work or school; the sun was beating down onto the path below. With the cars racing by, she let her eyes slip shut for a moment to take in the sweet spring atmosphere.

"Marinette, are you sure you're not forgetting anything?" Tikki peered up from inside the girl's mini-bag, more specifically at the hair ties wrapped around her wrist.

"Hmm?" The baker girl truly was clueless, having no idea what the kwami could be on about this time. "Well, maybe there was some homework I forgot about… I don't know."

"No, I mean..."

"Don't worry!" Marinette stood tall, sticking her chin out. "You'll see just how responsible I can be today." While she wasn't ready to fully grow up yet, she _did _have other plans for today.

…

It only took a few minutes to get to school from her house, yet Marinette had intentionally walked a little slower this morning. Her heart thudded lightly in her chest, nerves welling up in the pit of her stomach. So much for confidence and responsibility. "I can do this… I can do this…!" She gripped the ends of the box tighter in her palms, as a way to steady herself from the slightly dizzying anxiety she felt.

"Marinette? Is everything okay?" Tikki couldn't tell what was going through the girl's mind this time.

She was stood at the bottom of the steps which lead inside the school, staring down at her feet, lost in thought. The fatigue from earlier had completely melted away as she concocted this 'genius' plan of hers. This was something she'd had in mind for the past week – she wanted to plan every little detail, but at the last minute, she threw that away and took a more natural approach. Now that she was _actually _about to go ahead with it, though… "Mmh… Okay! I got it! I'll walk up to him, all casual. I'll offer him one of these macarons. He likes macarons, right? Then I'll say, 'wow, this weather is gorgeous today! Perfect for a stroll in the park! Oh, you like strolling through the park, too? What a coincidence!' And he'll say-!"

"Marinette?"

In the midst of her crazy ramblings to herself, a familiar voice called out from behind her, instantly cutting off her words… and immediately, an overdramatic yelp followed as she snapped out of daydream land. "Waaaah!" Twirling around as fast as she could, she lost her grip on the box of macarons in her hands, completely forgetting they were there to begin with. They wobbled awkwardly as she made an attempt to get them back in her grasp, but that inevitably failed, and the box fell to the ground with a sad _splat. _She had no time to focus on the macarons. There he was, right in front of her eyes – in all his blonde-haired, beautiful glory – only just stepping out of the car and heading her way. "A-A-Adrien! Mood gorning, it's you to see nice! Ahhh, I-I mean, it's nice to see you!" The stammering began straight away. She lost her cool in a split second. All it took was one eyeful of her prince charming.

"Ah… Good morning..." He raised a brow, taking note of her unusual way of speaking, not to mention the frantic motions to make a grab for a box on the ground. He'd always noticed the way she freaked out whenever he was in the vicinity, but he didn't think much of it. He would never make fun of her for it, anyway. It was endearing, in a way. "Here, let me help."

"N-No, don't worry about it…!" Marinette's cheeks had turned a humiliating shade of dark red. She pulled her eyes from the boy, kneeling to salvage as many of the macarons as possible. More of her father's work was ruined, all within a single second. "I'm so clumsy..."

Adrien grinned, shaking his head and assuring her. "It's alright. These things happen," he softly spoke, kneeling with her a moment later to take hold of the box, while she recovered the sweets that hadn't been crushed. "It's a shame about these macarons. They look so tasty."

"Hehe..." Marinette could only let out a sheepish laugh, at a loss for words. She always became so tongue-tied whenever she saw him. She wanted to stay as calm as possible for something as serious as confessing her undying love for him, but unfortunately, it would never be that easy.

When Adrien curiously trailed his eyes up to take in the appearance of his friend, he was surprised to see her hair hanging freely over her shoulders. He wasn't sure how he saw that when he first set foot out of the car, but for a moment or two, his words got all caught up in his throat at the sight of her. "Hey… I've never seen you with your hair down before..." He was able to finally get some words out, breaking the silence between the two.

Marinette's eyes grew wide upon hearing that. "H-Huh…?" Setting one of the macarons down into the box, she lifted a hand up and made a grab at where one of her pigtails should be. However, her fingertips were met with loose strands of hair. She ran her fingers through the soft locks, sucking in a gasp. "A-Ah…! I totally didn't know..."

Adrien held back a snicker. Not a teasing one, of course. But the way her eyes sparkled and her lower lip trembled as she became more flustered… He found it oddly amusing, in a way that made his heart flutter. There was a certain glint of pure innocence in her soft blue orbs… Something he'd never noticed until now. "Here… Sorry I couldn't retrieve more of them." He softly snapped the box shut, only a few remaining, before standing and holding a free hand out to the girl, who was in the middle of grabbing a fistful of her hair to tie back up.

"Hmm…?" One of her hair ties was stuffed a small bit into her mouth as she started tying, so she could only give a muffled whisper of curiosity as she looked up to him. Both of her hands were currently in use, so for a second, she hesitated. Adrien Agreste was holding his hand out for her to take. She loosely tied one of her pigtails in a hurry, and finally extended her hand to press on top of his.

"There you go..." Adrien didn't mind waiting a few moments for her to overcome her shyness. He tightened his hand around hers and with a strong, secure grip, helped her back on her feet.

"Ah… Th-Thank you, you're so kind!" Marinette stuttered, tripping over her words again. She only just fully realised what was going on, so she yanked her hand from his, not wanting to make a fool of herself any longer.

Adrien was ever so slightly confused at the way she pulled away from him out of nowhere, but he decided to shrug it off. "It's no problem."

"I… I, ah..." Marinette lightly scratched at her cheek with a fingertip, wondering if she should still go ahead and ask him to go on a date. All the speeches she planned so eloquently in her mind had faded into an unintelligible mess. However, she wasn't even given the opportunity to decide. The sound of the bell rang out rather loudly, stopping her just before she opened her mouth to speak. "Mmh..." A pout pulled at her lips. Lost her chance again.

Adrien figured Marinette wanted to spend some time with him as a friend, which would explain the defeated expression pulling at her features… And the bell ringing, indicating the beginning of the school day, must've knocked her confidence a little. "Would you like to walk to class together?" He offered in a sweet tone. He wasn't quite sure where he stood with Marinette. He considered her a good friend, and there had been times where she seemed to feel the same way. Although, in times such as these, when she acted all shy and like she was uncomfortable around him…

"Ah? Y-Yeah…!" Marinette instantly brightened up at the offer, relieved that she didn't have to be the one to ask and possibly be rejected. When he gave her that heart warming, sincere smile… She melted all over again. The two of them headed up the steps together, Marinette tying her hair up at last. Perhaps she wasn't meant to confess her love for him just yet. She took the bell ringing as a sign to be patient; maturity and responsibility would come one of these days, and when it did, that was when she'd take her chance.

For now, she was fully satisfied with being Adrien's very good friend. She hoped small moments such as these, walking into school together with the warmth of the sun shining down on them, would last forever.

…


End file.
